Neuro-muscular stimulation system
OwnerStanley J. Kovak, Ryan W. Kingsburyinventors
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Abstract
A neuro-muscular electrical stimulator includes a signal generator that generates at least one neuro-muscular stimulation signal and a programmable channel sequencer having six or more output channels. The channel sequencer couples the stimulation signal to the sequencer output channels in a predetermined sequence. A programmer that communicates with the sequencer allows a physician to individually program, for each sequencer output channel, the length of the time period during which the stimulation signal is coupled to the output channel so as to provide a patient specific therapy prescription.
Claims35
An adapter for a neuro-muscular electrical stimulator that generates a neuro-muscular stimulation signal on at least one output channel to adapt the stimulator for automatically treating a larger number of neuro-muscular locations comprising:
- a programmable channel sequencer having a portable housing with an input for receiving the stimulation signal output from the neuro-muscular electrical stimulator and having a plurality of channel outputs greater in number than the channel outputs of the neuro-muscular electrical stimulator, each of the sequencer channel outputs being capable of providing an output stimulation signal to a pair of electrodes, the channel sequencer coupling the stimulation signal on one output channel of the neuro-muscular electrical stimulator to a selected group of channel outputs of the channel sequencer in a predetermined sequence wherein the time period during which the stimulation signal on the one output channel of the neuro-muscular electrical stimulator is coupled to a sequencer output channel in the selected group is individually programmable, the channel sequencer automatically switching the stimulation signal from a current sequencer channel output to the next selected channel output in the sequence in response to the expiration of the programmable period of time associated with the current sequencer channel output.
A portable neuro-muscular stimulation system comprising:
- a signal generator for providing at least one neuro-muscular stimulation signal;
- and
- a channel sequencer having six or more output channels, each output channel being coupled to a pair of electrodes, the channel sequencer coupling the stimulation signal to selected output channels in a predetermined sequence for a period of time that is individually programmable for the respective output channel, the channel sequencer automatically switching the stimulation signal from a current output channel to the next output channel in the sequence in response to the expiration of the programmed period of time associated with the current output channel.
A portable neuro-muscular stimulation system comprising:
- a portable patient activated device including a neuro-muscular stimulation signal generator, a channel sequencer having at least six output channels each for connection to a pair of electrodes, the channel sequencer coupling the stimulation signal generator to selected output channels for a period of time in a predetermined sequence to provide a therapy;
- and
- a programmer capable of communicating with the patient activated device for programming the period of time for which the stimulation signal is to be coupled to a selected output channel so that different time periods can be programmed for at least two different output channels.
A system for adapting a neuro-muscular stimulator generating at least one neuro-muscular stimulation signal on at least one stimulator output channel for automatically treating a larger number of neuro-muscular locations comprising:
- a portable channel sequencer for coupling a neuro-muscular stimulation signal received from the neuro-muscular stimulator to a number of sequencer output channels in a predetermined sequence wherein the number of sequencer output channels is greater than the number of stimulator output channels;
- and
- a programmer capable of communicating with the channel sequencer for programming the period of time for which a stimulation signal is to be coupled to a selected output channel so that different time periods can be programmed for at least two different output channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.